Does the "S" stand for Socrates? 
I haven`t been bashing Teachers or their union, not that I`m above doing just that What I am saying is the Teaching profession is the poster boy for escaping the ravages of inflation. Farmers have either gotten very productive or have had to call the Auctioneer. The fact that farming is capital intensive, I see no reason to have shame for past subsidies. Representative Hartzler should not be put on the spot as to what a farm bill should look like 2012 is a long ways off in terms of grain prices. Farm subsidies are a red herring to the whole deficit cutting debate, the gov`t spending more in 3 days. There are real dollars burning and farm subsidies aren`t even the penny jar.
@BA Deere wrote:Hey Canuck, let`s say in 1980 a Teacher was making a okay living at $10k, teaching 25 students for 9 mo/yr driving 1 mile to work. His salary would buy 3400 bu of corn at the elevator.
Jump 30 years to 2010 and that Teacher is making $50k/yr teaching 25 students 9mo/yr driving 1 mile to work. His 2010 salary would buy 9,000 bushels or 5,600 bushels more than 1980.
Compare all that to a Farmer who in 1980 would save back a 3200bu government bin for his living expense. Let`s look what happens in 2010 if he kept that same 3200 bushels for his living expenses....He would only have $17,600 to live on. To keep up with the Teacher he would need to nearly fill a 10,000 bin! Unless we go back 5 or 6 years ago with $1.45 corn, then he`d need almost (3) 10,000 bushel bins. Point being the Farmer couldn`t rest on his laurels and keep the same standard of living as the Teacher did. To get back to the jist of Hobby`s post, No a farmer shouldn`t be embarrassed having taken farm subsides when comparing how other salaries have beaten inflation 2 and 3 fold. Get it now? Of course you don`t, but I tried.
You may have tried but it is an effort to explain the unexplainable.
Economics does not make any difference how many tonnes of corn it takes to buy anything.
I person can produce more widgets now so the widgets are worth less than they use to be per unit. Less labour to produce therefore less cost.
That is why there are fewer farmers.
As I said you have to compare an accrual financial income statement to the teachers salary to have a true comparisson. Do that and you will have the teachers comlaining about the $40 some odd Billion that your government hands out to you farmers to add to already high incomes.
